CONGREVE, Sir William, Bart., (1772-1828), inventor of the rocket called by his name, was member of parliament successively for Gatton and Plymouth. He was also a general of artillery, and co-operated with the Duke of York in reforming the British army. He wrote an Elementary Treatise on the Mounting of Naval Ordnance (Lond. 1812); and a Description of the Hydro-pneumatic Lock (Lond. 1815). He died at Toulouse in 1828.
The Congreve rockets, first used against Boulogne in 1806, are of various dimensions, and differently armed, as they are intended for the field or for bombardment. Those of the former class carry shells or case-shot; those of the latter are armed with a very combustible material contained in a strong metallic cylindrical case with a conical head. When once inflamed, this substance is unextinguishable, it scatters its burning particles in every direction, and when spent, the ball explodes like a grenade. The rocket is projected horizontally, and makes a loud whizzing noise in its passage through the air. The ammunition used varies from
6 to 42 lbs. and upwards. These rockets were certainly a very important invention; but from their liability to deflection and other defects, they are now regarded as less advantageous than the ordinary red-hot shot and bombs. The secret of their composition also is not so great as to defy imitation by foreign artillerists.